What does it mean?!

[clarebear1]

Hi,

I've been suffering with stomach pains, constipation, diarrea, blood in stools, anemia, bowel obstruction for some time until finally decided it was time to go to the doctor! Having been to the clinic last week, i was informed that they suspect i have crohn's. Since then i have had an outbreak of ulcers in my mouth and a boil on my face. Could these things be related to crohn's? I am awaiting blood & stool test results and going for a colonoscopy over the coming weeks.

What does the future hold - is this a progressive disease or something that can be controlled? I am slightly worried as what appears to be a 'flare up' has resulted in me being off work on and off over the last few months & obviously, this is far from ideal!

 

[David]

Hi Clarebear and welcome!

I'm sorry to hear of your struggles and hope they can get you a firm diagnosis and treatment soon.

Yes, the mouth ulcers and boil are likely related to the Crohn's Disease. They're called an "extraintestinal manifestation" and we have a forum dedicated to them. Quite often those mouth ulcers can be caused by a deficiency in one of the B vitamins.

Crohn's Disease can often be controlled. Sometimes it is slowly progressive and other times it is very aggressive. Everyone is different. One of the biggest keys is finding a treatment plan that works best for you.

I suggest doing everything you can to educate yourself about this disease. That's definitely an important variable in this battle. We're here to help you in that regard every step of the way.